title: Physiologic response of human brain death and the use of vasopressin for successful organ transplantation.
abstract: The dynamic physiologic response of human brain death and the impact of vasopressin on successful organ transplantation is reported. A 60-year-old woman was admitted to the intensive care unit after severe traumatic brain injury resulting in brain death. Initial Cushing reflex was followed by a precipitous decrease in systemic blood pressure that was refractory to the alpha-agonist phenylephrine. After intravenous vasopressin was given, hemodynamic stability was restored and maintained until successful organ transplantation. Vasopressin, a catecholamine-sparing vasopressor and antidiuretic agent, may be an effective agent in the treatment of refractory hypotension after brain death prior to organ transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Neurovascular Service, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA.
authors.forename: Kazuma
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.forename: Julin F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D001926:Brain Death; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007022:Hypotension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D016377:Organ Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000379:methods*; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D014667:Vasopressins / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D014667:Vasopressins